Seasonal Travel: Fall

Fall in the Tualatin Valley is a treat to the senses. The crisp, cool air. The smell of fireplaces burning. The crackling sound of fallen leaves underfoot. The sight of beautiful valleys as they glow in hues of orange, red and green. These are just some of the many ways the Tualatin Valley can be described during autumn.

Leaf Peeping

September and October is the season for “leaf-peeping” in Oregon’s Washington County. This picturesque season is best viewed by car, bicycle and kayak/canoe.

One of the best ways to view the splendor of the Tualatin Valley this time of year, is with a drive along the Vineyard and Valley Scenic Tour Route, a 60-mile driving tour. Discover farms, wineries, amazing sights and more along this experiential tour of our agricultural valley.

Harvest Season at the Farm

October marks harvest season at Tualatin Valley’s farms, before they close for the winter season. Area farms welcome visitors with a host of activities perfect for the autumn harvest. Visitors may pick pumpkins to take home to carve, get lost in a corn maze, play a round of pumpkin bowling, and pick apples and other fall fruits at u-pick farms.

One of the most famous farms in the Tualatin Valley is Roloff Farms, the location of the hit series, Little People Big World. This pumpkin farm is open only during the month of October, and features myriad things to see and do.

Outdoor Adventure

There is no better way to experience the changing colors of fall than with a ride along the 21-mile (one way) Banks-Vernonia State Trail, a rails-to-trails project that converted a dated railroad line, takes hikers, cyclists and equestrians of all levels on a scenic route through rural lands.

Zip lining also is a popular pasttime in the Tualatin Valley during the fall. Catch the autumn breeze while zipping from tree to tree at Tree to Tree Adventure Park—an aerial ropes course and guided zip-line park. This “playground in the trees” features an aerial adventure ropes, zip line tours, dueling zip line racing and more. Pumpkin Ridge Zip Tour is a guided zip-line tour along eight zip lines that will take adventurers through a beautiful forest, across majestic suspension bridges and near the breathtaking Brunswick Canyon.

Autumn Bird Migration

October is bird migration season, as the Tualatin Valley is on the Pacific Flyway, the north-south path for migratory birds in North America and South America. The Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge and Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve are just two wildlife areas with trails that offer some of the best bird watching opportunities in the Tualatin Valley during this active season.

For additional information and for more detailed information to help you with your story, please contact Sylke Neal-Finnegan via email or call 503-644-5555.